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The fauna of Australia consists of a huge variety of animals; some 46% of birds, 69% of mammals, 94% of amphibians, and 93% of reptiles that inhabit the continent are endemic to it. This high level of endemism can be attributed to the continent's long geographic isolation, tectonic stability, and the effects of a unique pattern of climate change on the soil and flora over geological time. A unique feature of Australia's fauna is the relative scarcity of native placental mammals. Consequently, the marsupials – a group of mammals that raise their young in a pouch, including the macropods, possums and dasyuromorphs – occupy many of the ecological niches placental animals occupy elsewhere in the world. Australia is home to two of the five known extant species of monotremes and has numerous venomous species, which include the platypus, spiders, scorpions, octopus, jellyfish, molluscs, stonefish, and stingrays. Uniquely, Australia has more venomous than non-venomous species of snakes.
The numbat, also known as the noombat or walpurti, is an insectivorous marsupial. It is diurnal and its diet consists almost exclusively of termites.
The sand goanna is a species of large Australian monitor lizard, also known as Gould's monitor, sand monitor, or racehorse goanna.
Australian Biological Resources Study (ABRS) is a project undertaken by Parks Australia Division of Australia's Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (DEWHA).
The Far Eastern curlew is a large shorebird most similar in appearance to the long-billed curlew, but slightly larger. It is mostly brown in color, differentiated from other curlews by its plain, unpatterned brown underwing. It is not only the largest curlew but probably the world's largest sandpiper, at 60–66 cm (24–26 in) in length and 110 cm (43 in) across the wings. The body is reportedly 565–1,150 g (1.246–2.535 lb), which may be equaled by the Eurasian curlew. The extremely long bill, at 12.8–20.1 cm (5.0–7.9 in) in length, rivals the bill size of the closely related long-billed curlew as the longest bill for a sandpiper.
The Threatened Species Protection Act 1995, is an act of the Parliament of Tasmania that provides the statute relating to conservation of flora and fauna. Its long title is An Act to provide for the protection and management of threatened native flora and fauna and to enable and promote the conservation of native flora and fauna. It received the royal assent on 14 November 1995.
Beddomeia fultoni(B. fultoni) is a species of small freshwater snail belonging to the family Tateidae.
Setomedea is a genus of small air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Charopidae.
Bentosites macleayi is a species of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Camaenidae.
Temporena whartoni, common name the Holbourne Island banded snail, is a species of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Camaenidae.
A taxonomic database is a database created to hold information on biological taxa – for example groups of organisms organized by species name or other taxonomic identifier – for efficient data management and information retrieval. Taxonomic databases are routinely used for the automated construction of biological checklists such as floras and faunas, both for print publication and online; to underpin the operation of web-based species information systems; as a part of biological collection management ; as well as providing, in some cases, the taxon management component of broader science or biology information systems. They are also a fundamental contribution to the discipline of biodiversity informatics.
Phycosecidae is a family of beetles in the superfamily Cleroidea., containing the single genus Phycosecis found in Australia, New Caledonia, New Zealand and Vanuatu. The beetles are small, about 1.5–3.5 mm in length. They live in sandy coastal areas, and are saprophagous, feeding on faeces, carrion, and death arthropods during the daytime.
The Mycetophagidae or hairy fungus beetles are a family of beetles in the superfamily Tenebrionoidea. The different species are between 1.0 and 6.5 mm in length. The larvae and adults live in decaying leaf litter, fungi, and under bark. Most species feed on fungi. Worldwide, the 18 genera contain around 200 species.
Ascute uteoides is a species of calcareous sponge found in Australia.
Nitor is a genus of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the family Helicarionidae.
William Hay Caldwell was a Scottish zoologist. Attending Cambridge University, he was the first recipient of a studentship founded in honour of his supervisor Francis Maitland Balfour, who died in a climbing accident in 1882. Two years after graduating from Cambridge in 1880, Caldwell was appointed Demonstrator in Comparative Anatomy, working for Professor Alfred Newton. In 1884, Caldwell used his studentship, which consisted of "£200 studentship, a £500 grant, the prestige and backing of the Royal Society, and letters of introduction from Newton to travel to Australia" to investigate whether the platypus laid eggs. With the assistance of the local Aboriginals, Caldwell set up camp on the banks of the Burnett River in northern Queensland, hunting for lungfish, echidna, and platypus eggs. After extensive searching assisted by a team of 150 Aboriginals, he discovered a few eggs. Mindful of the high cost per word, Caldwell tersely and now famously wired the British Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in Montreal: "Monotremes oviparous, ovum meroblastic". That is, monotremes lay eggs, and the eggs are similar to those of reptiles in that only part of the egg divides as it develops. Caldwell stayed away from the beginning stages of Darwinism and wanted to study evolutionary patterns himself. He believed that patterns of individual development could assist in developing and understanding the process of evolution. Platypus and echidna specimens collected by him and stored, but not catalogued, in the Cambridge University Museum of Zoology were rediscovered in 2022.
The northern spiny-tailed gecko is a species of lizard in the family Diplodactylidae. The species is endemic to Australia.
The Charcoal Tank Nature Reserve is a protected nature reserve in the central western region of New South Wales, Australia. The 86.4-hectare (213-acre) reserve is situated 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) south of West Wyalong and may be accessed via the Newell Highway and The Charcoal Tank Road. The reserve is an important refuge for native flora and fauna in a highly fragmented landscape, one in which the majority of the original vegetation has been removed.
Australian online fauna & flora databases: Both the Commonwealth of Australia and its various states maintain a number of online databases which encompass both native and naturalised fauna and flora. Some are taxonomic. Some are descriptive. Some are both. Some indicate threatened or nuisance species. The list below is incomplete.
Phyllis Jane Fromont is a New Zealand and Australian scientist specialising in sponges.
References
- ↑ "Australian Faunal Directory". BugGuide . Retrieved 6 January 2012.
- 1 2 "Australian Faunal Directory". 13 May 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
- ↑ Davie, P. J. F., A. Wells, and W. W. K. Houston. Zoological Catalogue of Australia. 19.3B, 19.3B. Collingwood, Vic: CSIRO, 2002, p. XIII.
- ↑ Australian Biological Resources Study, and Australia. Australian Faunal Directory. Canberra, ACT: Dept. of the Environment and Heritage, 2000.
- ↑ Commonwealth Record, Volume 5, Issues 26-34, p. 1282. Australian Government Publishing Service, 1980.
